Why do people choose to live close to major fault lines?

1. 77

   BenWritingsposted 13 years ago

   Why do people choose to live close to major fault lines?
   
   I was just watching the news about the 8.9 magnitude quake in Japan. and a newscaster in CA was mentioning how the San Andreas fault line could produce such a quake at any given moment. Why would people make residence around such a terrible potential disaster?

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2. 60

   vietnamvet68posted 13 years ago

   According to a Nova program, there is a fault line underneath Every place in the world.  It's like a spider web under All of us, we just don't always think about it.  So an earthquake in another part of the world can send tremors to many, many places that aren't always sitting right on the point of the original impact.  Actually there is No place in the world deemed as safe according to scientists.

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3. 77

   BenWritingsposted 13 years ago

   scary stuff.
   
   I was watching the videos of the tsunami, it's mind-blowing

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4. 59

   Trail Otterposted 13 years ago

   As already mentioned, there are fault lines everywhere. Around the Pacific Ocean is the "ring of fire" where quakes and volcanoes are prevalent. It's where the Pacific plate meets the other plates of the earth and either ride over or above causing tremors when the plates slip. The coastal areas however are necessary for transport of goods and people. So cities were constructed in these areas and the people there can only deal with nature as best they can.

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5. 81

   Randy Behaviorposted 13 years ago

   The waves are just hitting us now. 35 boats destroyed, all docks, four people washed out to sea, one dead... hour north of here.
   
   We all take our chances:  Earthquakes, tornados, crime, disease, poisonous snakes...

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6. 60

   framistanposted 13 years ago

   Do you live in a mountainous area.... Avalanches.
   Do you live near a river..................... Floods.
   Do you live near a forest ..................  Forest fires.
   Do you live on an ISLAND.................  Volcano eruptions.
   
   Pretty much EVERYWHERE has its faults (pun intended).

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7. 81

   delaneyworldposted 13 years ago

   I agree with the others, the fault lines are everywhere.  I live in Arizona.  While we have felt some earthquakes here, fingers crossed, nothing big has occurred. 
   
   We just moved here from spending 4 years living next to Utah Lake.  About a year before we moved, we learned there was a major fault line running right down the middle of the lake.  There is also one along the Wasatch front.  I think some people just don't know it!  I know we didn't and following a small quake with the epicenter near our home, we got the heck out of there. 
   
   I am sure a lot of the reasons run from there is risk everywhere, to they just don't know it, to people can't afford to just pick up and leave. 
   
   It's really scary.  My dad is now living in our house and claims that when the big one hits he'll ride the house down the mountain and into the lake.  It paints a funny picture, but it wouldn't be funny at all in reality.

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8. 59

   Angel709posted 13 years ago

   Not sure if it's true or not, but I just read another hub that said there are no earthquakes in Ireland...hmm...would be nice.
   
   Otherwise, I definitely agree with the other comments. We really don't have a choice, fault lines are everywhere, some places may be more "faulty" than others, but there are pros and cons and some type of disaster potential everywhere.
   
   Also some people have to take what their money can afford. Others may not have thought to research the area for high risk. Some places haven't quaked in many many years and people deem them relatively safe and are willing to take the risk.  If we moved every time we discovered a potential risk or tried to choose the perfect place, we'd live nowhere.

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9. 59

   Xenonlitposted 13 years ago

   What's the difference? We all live in a tornado zone, a hurricane zone, or some other dangerous zone of the Earth's crust.  Having survived the Loma Prieta and a few tornadoes, I prefer inland California.

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    ithabiseposted 13 years ago

    Not sure. Maybe it's that "Oh everything seems just fine. Nothing bad is going to happen" thing until it does. The people of Pompeii had never seen anything like it before; but we have no excuses. I wonder why folks in the Midwest chance destructive tornadoes. Still, I cannot say much: I took a job in Japan and lived at the foot of Mount Fuji. It's been over 200 years since it last blew, but there's always the chance. The 'what ifs' weren't pleasant every time there was a major tremor coming from somewhere.

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